Veteran Egyptian actor Lotfy Labib dies after long battle with illness

Dubai: Veteran Egyptian actor Lotfy Labib, renowned for his diverse roles in film and television, passed away on Wednesday following a prolonged battle with illness. He was in his late 70s.

His death was confirmed by Munir Makram, a member of the board of the Egyptian Acting Professions Syndicate, in a post on Facebook.

Just a day earlier, Ashraf Zaki, head of the syndicate, had revealed that Labib had been readmitted to intensive care in critical condition. “We urge everyone to pray for him,” Zaki wrote at the time, noting that the actor required urgent medical intervention.

Tributes and condolences quickly poured in on social media from across Egypt’s artistic community and his fans. Fellow actors, directors and writers remembered Labib as a generous colleague and a master of his craft, while audiences shared fond memories of his most cherished roles, celebrating a career that made a lasting impact on Egyptian cinema and television.

Over a decades-long career, Labib enriched the Arab entertainment industry with more than 100 films and 30 television series. He was especially acclaimed for his supporting roles alongside legends of Egyptian cinema, including Adel Imam, with whom he memorably portrayed an Israeli ambassador in the political comedy The Embassy in the Building.

Labib also worked with a younger generation of stars such as Ahmed Mekky and Mai Ezz Eldin, and more recently appeared in television projects with Yahia El Fakharany. His final screen appearance was in the 2023 film Marai Al Primo, alongside Mohamed Henedy and Ghada Adel.

In recent years, recurring health issues limited his artistic output, but his legacy — a body of work that helped shape Egyptian drama and comedy — has secured him a lasting place in the country’s cultural memory.